


Breaking the Mold

by Phoebeus



Series: These Days We Celebrate [5]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hints of Revolution & Peach too, Humor, M/M, Pre-Puzzleshipping, Puzzleshipping, romantic or platonic at your discretion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-06 03:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11028036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebeus/pseuds/Phoebeus
Summary: A dash of bad luck for Yuugi's mother means a slew of sweet moments for Yuugi, his friends, and his other self.[Installment in "These Days We Celebrate" - A series focused on Yuugi & Yami no Yuugi's bond between the defeat of Pegasus and introduction of Otogi.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was intended to be a one-shot, but oh well! Enjoy part one of this two-parter Valentine's Day story!
> 
> Note, it'll be handy to understand how [the holiday works in Japan](http://us.jnto.go.jp/blog/valentines-day-white-day-in-japan/) going into this story. 
> 
> Music for this chapter: [Knitty-Knotty Windmill Hill](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvdKM6nmoLk)

**:: Feb 12 - Valentine’s Day ::**

“ _Ooooh_ , you’re making extra this year, Mama?”

“Ah… Welcome home, Yuugi-kun,” Mutou Yui replied, voice and smile equally strained as she turned to greet him. “Did you have a good day?”

Yuugi hesitated seeing that expression, but ultimately walked into the kitchen, dropping his backpack by the doorway. “Yeah, it was good! You’re… making chocolates, right? For Saturday?” That had to be it, right? The numerous ingredients laid out in front of her were easy enough to put together, and his mother always made Valentine’s chocolates. In fact, she usually made them early, and he was shocked she hadn’t started _sooner_.

It was already Thursday!

“Yes, I was, but…” His mother turned back to the counter to stare at the mountain of ingredients: sugar and butter and milk, and what Yuugi assumed had to be cocoa powder? There was just tons of it!

Or, at least tons more than Yuugi could recall ever seeing _before_.

“ _Aaa_ , it seemed like such a good idea at the time, and now this.” Mama sighed, resting her wrists on her hips… And slowly turned to Yuugi when he didn’t reply.

When she saw the confusion plastered on his face, she volunteered, “I was supposed to meet my book club Saturday afternoon, as usual, so a few of us said we would bring chocolates for the men. But I just got a call from Takajima-san, and it turns out they cancelled the meeting!” She finished the point almost yelling, waving her arms until she finished and crossed them, quieting down to a scathing grumble. “ _Darn them_. I bet Nagakura-san didn’t pay attention to what the day was when she set the meeting, and then she looked at a calendar today and realized it was Valentine’s, so she nagged the others to cancel with her. Takajima-san couldn’t say, but _Nagakura-san_ has a husband at home-”

“Right,” Yuugi cut in with a mumble, staring warily at his mother out of the corner of his eye… before turning to face the spread himself. “So, you already bought all of this, and now you just need to make stuff for-”

“You, your father, and your grandfather,” she confirmed, deflating out of her ire with another sigh. “What a mess… And I can’t just save it. Even if it wouldn’t go bad, we have more than enough in the fridge and pantry as it is.”

“What about just whipping it all up, and sending most of it to _Otou-san_?” Yuugi suggested, offering his mother a tentative grin. “I bet that would surprise him, and he could share them with his roommates.” He knew his father boarded with some of his co-workers from the company, after all.

His mother smiled at the idea, a wistful, fond expression aimed at something only she could see… but in short order she shook her head, coming back into focus as she turned to Yuugi. “That’s a sweet thought… and you know what? I just might send a few little ones along for them. Renju-san did say that his favorite boarder Yoshida-kun has a sweet tooth. But, I can’t send them _all_ of the extras, if I whip all of this up. They’ll be getting more than enough chocolates from their lady subordinates, and shipping costs would be horrible.”

“Oh,” Yuugi mumbled, letting his gaze slide back to the counter to stare, at a loss. He was soundly out of ideas… and so he turned inward for help.

_Can you think of anything, mou hitori no boku?_

He could practically hear the thoughtful hum slide through his mind, the answer as instant as it was silent.

The spirit was hidden, even from his eyes, but the other Yuugi had been with him the whole way home. And he only disappeared when they entered the shop so that Yuugi could focus on his family, if he ran into them. 

Which he had.

But it looked like the spirit was still _listening_ , because he did not question Yuugi’s meaning or seem jarred by the inquiry. He just sent back what Yuugi would dub a ‘mental shrug’ and said, _Perrhaps she could give the extras away to customers in the shop?_

_...you know, that’s not bad! We could push it as a holiday-themed thing!_

_Yes, though it will probably look a little odd to handout homemade chocolates to strangers_ , the spirit replied, his discontent with the flaw in his plan clear in his tone as he ‘sighed’. _It is too bad Jounouchi and Honda couldn’t come over. They could have helped you finish them off as soon as you cooked them._

A grin broke out across Yuugi’s face, a chuckle caught in his throat. _That’s true._

“...Yuugi-kun?”

“Hmm?” Yuugi looked up… Only to start with a flush when he saw his mother staring at him.

“What are you laughing at? And, why were you just staring at the counter like that?”

“Ah, sorry, I just, got caught up in my head,” he excused, scratching his chin self-consciously and trying not to react outwardly to the laughter in his head. _Cool it, will you?_

 _Sorry, aibou_.

“I was just, thinking about my friends, and-” Yuugi started… only for his eyes to tick back to the line of ingredients and stick there, caught on the sight.

His _friends_ …

There was a question in his head, not borne of his own mind. But Yuugi turned to his baffled mother instead, his own gaze struck wide as he asked, “W-what if I gave some to them?”

...the shock that met his question was both external and internal.

“Your, friends?” his mother echoed, words coming out in that uncertain, you-couldn’t-mean-what-I-think-you-mean tone.

Yuugi ignored it, nodding and rushing forward through rickety excitement. “Yes! I mean, I know they would like them, and between Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun and Bakura-kun and An-”

“Yes, I understand that you have a lot of friends now, I’m very happy about that. And they might be able to finish off most of them for us, but… _Yuugi_ ,” she emphasized, looking far more thrown than disapproving. “You shouldn’t be giving out _Valentine’s Day chocolates_ , especially at school. I know a lot of things have changed since I was your age, but a boy giving out chocolates is still-”

“I know that!” Yuugi protested, embarrassment and irritation all mixed up in his head and making his face go pink. “I’m not saying _I’d_ be giving them! I mean, I _would_ , but I’ll just say they’re coming from you!”

His mother released the tight frown she had been holding, but it just expanded out into a baffled look at his answer. “Then, you want _me_ to give your friends chocolates?”

“I mean, officially, yeah.” Yuugi scratched his upper arm, effectively hugging himself as he shrugged. “How’s that any different from a girl giving a classmate or coworker or some other peer obligatory chocolates?”

“Well, for one thing, they’re not _my_ peers,” she answered instantly. But even as his mom argued, she shot a glance at the counter… and after a long pause she shook her head. “I suppose it could be considered close enough, though, in a pinch… Would you really feel comfortable handing them over to your friends, though? Especially at school?”

“Why not?” Yuugi smiled, relief buoying his grin as he answered. “Everybody’s going to be trading chocolates tomorrow, so who’s going to pay attention to me giving some out?”

“...well, I suppose if you are certain, then,” she finally said, pulling her skeptical stare off of Yuugi to face the counter, rolling up her sleeves as she moved. “You had better believe I won’t be making these alone, though, if some of them are going to _your_ group. Grab a bowl, Yuugi-kun.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

* * *

_What gave you this idea, aibou?_ the once more visible spirit asked, gazing into the bowl his partner stirred on the stove.

“Well,” Yuugi started after a long stall, taking advantage of his ‘privacy’ to revert back into speaking aloud. There was no need to worry about being overheard, after all, since they had used up the last of their molds and his mother had run to the store to pick up more. It would probably be some time before she got back, meaning Yuugi and his other were the only ones in the house, outside of the shop.

The opportunity to talk didn’t mean he knew instantly what to say, though.

“I just thought you were right, and Jounouchi-kun and the others would probably like some chocolates. So, why not give some to them?”

_…is that really all, though?_

Yuugi sighed and looked over his shoulder, a defense already half-formed on his lips… But then he saw the expression on the spirit’s face, and it crumbled in an instant.

His other was smiling at him in a fond, knowing way, one brow quirked in expectation. 

Yuugi’s eyes darted to the tiles before he swerved back to the stove, vainly trying to balance out the flush on his face with a shrug. “Well, _you know_ … it’ll be nice to have something to look forward to this year.”

 _You mean, because you think no one will give you any chocolates themselves?_ The question should have been as cruel as it was obvious, but Yuugi knew even before he looked up that the spirit was shaking his head, that infamous old teasing grin of his in place. _I wouldn’t be so sure about that, aibou. You never know what you might get. Someone might just surprise you._

“Haha… Maybe, _mou hitori no boku_ , but I’m not going to assume that,” he countered, smiling all the same as he locked eyes with his other… only to break the gaze again as he blended milk into the mix the way his mother had showed him, and answered the possibility the spirit only teased at. “And I know Anzu-chan might give out friendly chocolates, since she said she regretted not doing so last year… And, she might even give _someone_ something a little more special, but I doubt it’ll be me.”

Or maybe Anzu _would_ hand that singular treat to him… but, it wouldn’t be _intended_ for him, even if Anzu herself saw it that way.

She had said so after all, hadn’t she? That she thought of them both as Yuugi? That it didn’t matter to her _which_ of them…

But, that wasn’t really the case, was it?

Yuugi had been harboring doubts for a while, and with each passing day they only grew stronger, and the spirit became less a double who could walk in his place, and more a precious companion to spend his time with. An… an ‘individual’ Yuugi _knew_ as well as himself… but, was _not_ himself?

Whatever that meant. However Yuugi felt about it, the spirit _was_ his other self, after all!

It was all just such a jumbled mess… he preferred not to think about.

But he _had_ to, at least indirectly, because when he considered even the _possibility_ of a blushing Anzu handing him special chocolates, when it wasn’t _him_ in her mind’s eye?

Yuugi’s gaze went skirting up to his other at the thought… and stuck there.

The other Yuugi was staring at him, blatantly baffled.

He didn’t say anything, but Yuugi still had to shake his head at the clear question in his eyes and turn his back on the spirit to remove the chocolate from the stove and hide his smile.

For such an insightful, smart man, his other self could be decidedly blind at times.

“Never mind, never mind.”

_But, aibou-_

“It’s fine.” Yuugi pulled over the last of the unused molds - a tray of various drop shapes - and started pouring the chocolate in. “We’ll see well enough on Saturday.”

_…I suppose…_

“And besides,” he went on, setting aside the mixing bowl as soon as he was done and turning to face his uncertain other as he wiped his hands on his borrowed blue apron. “I should be saying sorry.”

A second ago, Yuugi would have thought the spirit couldn’t have looked any more confused.

He thought wrong.

_What do you mean?_

“Don’t you remember? We were going to play Advanced Mastermind today.” Yuugi watched the confusion on his other’s face melt into understanding, then soft allowance, the same emotions echoing in kind through his heart. 

_That is nothing to apologize for. You want to make these for our friends, and you are spending time with your mother in the bargain. I shouldn’t get in the way of that._

“You are _never_ in the way of _anything_ , _mou hitori no boku_ ,” he chided back, the same warm assurance the spirit had just shown layered beneath his own words.

The spirit shook his head… But there was no real fight behind the gesture, and the expression on his face was untroubled, unmarred by any stifled distress. _If you say so… But either way, we will just have to put that off for another day. Mama will be back any minute with your molds._

“Yup,” Yuugi agreed, turning back to the counter to clean off the first round of emptied ingredient boxes and dirty bowls… only to stall as his eyes fell on it: the chocolate mix he had just finished.

There was still some left in the bowl.

“…but since she’s _not_ here yet, maybe we should sample a bit?” He picked up the bowl and a discarded spoon with barely stifled anticipation. “We don’t want to give these to Jounouchi-kun and everyone if they don’t taste right.”

 _I think you are meant to try them after they harden in the fridge_ , the spirit countered, a smile tugging at his lips.

“What, and waste the molds all night when we could clean them out and re-use them? I don’t think so.” Yuugi shook his head and - before his other could pose another would-be protest - spooned a helping of melted chocolate into his mouth.

His muscles went instantly slack, the spoon left hanging loose between his lips as he shut his eyes and hummed in pleasure.

_Delicious!_

_I can see that!!_

His other was laughing at him, a deep, throaty, ongoing snicker that just added to Yuugi’s happy haze as he let the sweet confection slide down his throat. No, he was too pleased to care… The spirit could laugh all he liked right then, and the boy would not give a word of protest.

But, when the spirit went on by asking, _Is it really that good, aibou?_ Yuugi pried his eyes open and studied the smiling ghost with narrowed eyes.

Pulling the spoon from his mouth, he spoke aloud as he dipped it back into the bowl. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

_Huh?_

That was all the spirit could get out before Yuugi stuffed the spoon back into his mouth, ‘dropped back’ out of his body, and pushed his other into it.

The boy’s body went instantly stiff, the shock of sudden physicality likely just highlighting the sweet taste in his mouth.

Yuugi wouldn’t know, though, as he was numb to his body’s senses. It was the _other_ Yuugi who slowly pulled the spoon from his mouth, licking his lips as he frowned at the stained utensil.

“…quite good…”

...Yuugi blinked, a frown of his own slowly forming.

That was far too subdued a response.

_You don’t like it?_

“What?” the ‘spirit’ started, only to do a double-take and nearly drop the spoon when he saw Yuugi’s expression. “O-of course I like it! It’s, very good!” he insisted, gesturing awkwardly at the bowl as he struggled to smile.

Yuugi just shook his head.

His other really was an awful liar.

_It’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with not liking it._

“But, you made it…” the other mumbled, glowering down at his shoes… and thus missing the warm, pleasant surprise that splashed across Yuugi’s face, until he covered it with a teasing grin.

_And if I made oysters dipped in garlic and cheese fondue, would you feel bound to like that, too?_

The spirit slowly dragged his gaze back up to pin a disturbed stare on his transparent partner. “Why would you ever make something like that?”

Yuugi snorted, shaking his head. _It’s just an example, mou hitori no boku… And I noticed you didn’t answer. But really, there’s nothing wrong with not liking chocolate._

“It’s not that it’s _chocolate_. It’s just…” the other trailed off, frowning down at the spoon in his hand. “It’s too sweet.”

Sounded like a contradiction to Yuugi’s ear - chocolates _were_ sweets - but he nodded all the same… until a sudden thought made him catch his ‘breath’ and he paused, slowly turning to look to the fridge.

 _Too sweet, huh_?

“...?” The other Yuugi looked up, only to jerk back as he was pushed once more out of the body.

Yuugi blinked back into awareness within his own skin, then turned to the fridge within two breaths of being corporeal again.

_Aibou? What are you doing?_

“Grabbing something.” Which was probably obvious once he opened the door and pulled out one of the already filled trays: one with flower shapes for the molds.

The spirit balked at the sight of it. _Yuugi, isn’t that_ -

“Mama’s dark chocolate, that she makes for herself every year? Yup. I would go for some still in the bowl, but we don’t have anymore of this mix left, so this will have to do.”

 _Do for what_?

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, just before reaching back and prompting the spirit to switch with him again.

It was a wonder they weren’t getting dizzy.

His other actually _did_ look a little dazed, but he shook off the vertigo to frown at him. “This isn’t necessary, _aibou_. I know you like to see what I like, but-”

_Aw, come on! We already got it out and everything!_

The spirit sighed, seemingly not up for an argument. Then, moving without a beat of hesitation, he dipped a finger into one of the still soft pockets of chocolate, and stuck the covered digit into his mouth.

He shut his eyes, utterly still with a single finger between his lips, not making a sound… But Yuugi could hear it.

The soft satisfaction that buzzed in his head like a hum.

 _...like it?_ Yuugi finally dared to ask, an almost _shy_ smile tugging at his lips as he looked on, tentative fondness and a slight pink tickling at his transparent face.

His other wasn’t even _doing_ anything. Just, standing there, but… there was just something oddly embarrassing about it, staring at his other while he was so quietly relaxed and unassuming, unable to excuse Yuugi’s regard by looking back.

But then he removed the finger and _did_ open his eyes, and the moment broke with a shared smile. “Yes, very much.”

Yuugi grinned, but- _You don’t seem surprised_.

“No,” he sighed, scooping out a second bit of chocolate, but leaving the bitter sweet on his finger as he confessed, “I sort of already knew I liked it.”

Blink. _How would you know that? I don’t like dark chocolate, so I know I’ve never offered it to you before._

His other dropped his gaze, seemingly focused on the chocolate tray- But Yuugi’s eyes narrowed at the dodge. “Do you remember the night I came home late? After we helped Hanasaki with those delinquents last year?”

 _Well, that was more_ you, _but..._ Yuugi remembered, kind of. The memories of what his other did in those earliest months they were together, before Yuugi was really even conscious of him, were a blurred nothing most of the time unless he really concentrated. He had access to them now, though, and if he _tried_ to think about it-

Yes… yes, that was right. He- No, his other self had snuck into the house late that night, after everyone else had gone to sleep. And no one had noticed him, which was good… but he was starving. He hadn’t had much to eat at dinner, after all. He could eat _now_ , but if he walked on the kitchen tiles or lingered long enough to remove his boots, he might get caught.

Still, there _was_ that stash of candy under the couch he wasn’t supposed to know about…

…

_You ate Mama’s secret stash?!?!_

There was no volume to Yuugi’s cry - he was still a spirit, after all - but his other flinched all the same, and shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

_But I got in so much trouble for that!!_

“Yes, I- I know. I’m sorry.”

Yuugi nearly snapped out another protest, but… but, the outburst caught in his throat as he noticed his other’s expression.

The other Yuugi wasn’t one for fidgets or nervous energy or anxious tears, but his distress was more than clear in his tight lips and agonized eyes, pinned to the countertop.

The agitation drained out of Yuugi so fast it was like he had never felt it, the only indication left behind the vicarious guilt that settled in his gut.

He sighed through it, shook his head and gave his other’s shoulder a light ‘poke’ so he would look up and see the reassuring smile on Yuugi’s face. _It’s fine, mou hitori no boku. That was like a year ago._ Back when the lines between Yuugi and _Yuugi_ were blurred, and even his other self likely thought that any risk he took would only come back to bite ‘him’, and not his partner alone, as a separate person. _And I haven’t thought of it since until now, so no harm done_.

“If you say so,” his other said in a ‘it absolutely still matters’ sort of way, turning an uncertain frown back on his finger.

 _That_ made Yuugi glower, right and proper, and without even stopping to think about it he slid up close and turned ‘himself’ around by a shoulder.

Surprise sparked through his other’s eyes and their shared hearts, but Yuugi ignored it and the way his hand buzzed where they had made contact, like he had shocked himself. No, he started off a whole new round of fizzling tingles without a care when he grabbed their mutual wrist.

“ _A-aibou_ , what are you- _Mmphf!_ ” the other Yuugi cried out, only to cut himself off, lest he bite his own finger.

Because Yuugi had just stuffed it into his mouth.

 _You shouldn’t be wasting your chocolate. Keep eating_ , Yuugi chided in the face of his other’s shocked stillness, and quickly narrowing, calculating crimson eyes.

_That was dirty, aibou._

_No, your finger is dirty. Make sure you lick it off_.

The other snorted… only to go ramrod stiff at the voice at his back.

“I’m back! Ah, I hope I found what you were asking for, Yuugi-kun. It took me forever to locate a mold that- _What are you doing?!_ ”

 _Oh no…_ Yuugi breathed, blanching as he looked between his outraged mother and his other, who still had his back to her.

They weren’t even meeting eyes yet, and he already looked like a deer in headlights.

_It’s okay, mou hitori no boku, just tell her-_

The other Yuugi looked up into his eyes, took the finger from his mouth, and mumbled two quick, quiet words.

“Again, sorry…”

 _Huh? What do you-_ Yuugi tripped forward, into the _counter top_.

Because he was back in his body.

And his other was gone.

 _Good luck, aibou_.

“What?! It, _that’s dirty_!!”

“What are you even talking about, Yuugi-kun?! Stop talking to yourself and explain what you were doing with my chocolates!! You don’t even like dark chocolate, remember?!”

Yuugi flinched, and shot a withering glare down at his oh-so-innocent Puzzle.

 _Oh, I remember_.

The Item’s occupant remained pointedly silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The release date for the next chapter is unknown, since I didn't plan for this to be so long, but I will squeeze it into the schedule and it will be out as soon as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Music: [Frosty Wheel](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uBLpyM5s_KY)

**:: Feb 14 - Valentine's Day ::**

“Hey hey hey, _guys_!! Look at this!”

Jerking at the loud call of that familiar voice, Yuugi abandoned packing up his bento box to turn around and see what Jounouchi was going on about… only to drop the empty container when he saw what his friend was waving over his head.

A little bundle of star-shaped chocolates, tied up in a clear gift bag.

 _Oh_ **_no_** _, that…_ **_that’s_** _…_

 _It might have been a bad idea to leave it in Jounouchi’s shoe locker this morning_ , his other observed, hovering unseen at Yuugi’s side as Jounouchi rushed through the classroom to reach him and their other friends. _I don’t think he read the note yet, and he’s assumed some things._

 _You_ **_think_** _?! Gah, why did Mama tell me to put them in the lockers?!_

_So that you wouldn’t have to give them out in front of the class._

**_Still_** _!!_

“What are you going on about, man?” Honda asked, ignorant of the inner screaming going on _right_ beside him as he leaned back in his seat and glowered at Jounouchi, now leaning over and gasping for breath before them. “You trying to get the whole class looking at you?”

“Because if so, you’re doing a lovely job,” Bakura observed blithely from his own desk, looking around and smiling at the numerous gazes pinned on them.

“Well, that’s just fine by me!” Jounouchi wheezed, grinning behind him even at the rest of the class. “I don’t have anything to hide, and if everyone else wants to see it, then I say all the better!”

“Uh, Jounouchi-kun?” Yuugi tried as he finally found his voice, earning a distracted glance from the beaming blond. “That’s not-”

“Would you pipe down, Jounouchi?” cut in Kato, the red-haired basketball club member who sat right behind Jounouchi in class, and was now glowering at them all from his usual seat. “So you got some Valentine’s chocolates, big deal. It’s probably just some of the mandatory stuff from the girls.”

“Yeah, they gave them out this morning before class, but you came in so late that you missed it,” chimed in Maki, Kato’s bespeckled, far-less-cranky clubmate. He turned to Kato from his own desk seat, shooting him an amused grin. “Did you try Ikuko-chan’s chocolates yet? She put peanut butter in hers.”

“Oh, _shut up_ , you two!” Jounouchi interrupted with a snap, making both boys and the majority of the class blink his way again. “What do you know, huh?! The girls stuffed that store bought junk in my desk before I came in, yeah, but _this_ is homemade stuff left special in my locker, with a note and everything! And did any of _you_ get anything like that?!”

“A-actually, Jounouchi-kun?” Yuugi tried again, waving a hand up in his friend’s periphery in a desperate bid for his attention.

And it _worked_ … but when Jounouchi stopped blinking down at him in shock, Yuugi quickly wished he hadn’t said anything.

“No _way_ , man! You got some, too?!”

“What- _ghhfph_!!” Yuugi gagged, hands flailing up for the arm that had gone tight around his neck as Jounouchi rubbed his knuckles into the soft spikes of his hair.

“What were you _thinking_ , holding out on us like that?! Who was it, huh?! Who sent you special sweets?!”

“N-n-” Yuugi tried to say, distantly aware of a certain someone laughing behind him.

The jerk.

“Heh, can’t you guess, Jounouchi?” Honda asked, prompting both to look up, and then follow his gaze across the classroom.

Anzu was stomping towards them, an irate frown on her face.

Yuugi felt his face flush as he belatedly caught Honda’s meaning.

And his other self just chuckled harder.

 _Will you_ **_stop_** _?! You know it’s not like that!_

 _Well, why don’t you just tell_ **_them_ ** _what you meant, then?_

 _Because I can’t_ **_breathe_** _!_

“Jounouchi-kun, let go of Yuugi-kun!” Anzu demanded as soon as she got close enough, prompting Jounouchi to look down at their shorter friend… and instantly drop him as he saw Yuugi’s expression.

“ _Gah_! Sorry, man!!”

“That’s… fine…” Yuugi coughed, rubbing his neck, only looking up when Anzu grabbed his shoulder and frowned over him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, no harm done,” Yuugi replied, smiling with easy assurance- and only flushing again when he caught his other self scrutinizing him over her shoulder.

_What?!_

_Nothing_ , the spirit insisted, but his grin said otherwise.

And Yuugi could have certainly retorted, but Anzu had turned to Jounouchi and-

“Why were you trying to choke him?!”

“I _wasn’t_!” Jounouchi protested.

And whatever Anzu meant to say in return died on her tongue when Bakura chimed in with a cheery “Jounouchi-kun got chocolates from someone!”

Anzu stared blankly at the smiling teen… then turned a disbelieving look on Jounouchi. “ _Seriously_?”

Someone across the room broke out in a laugh, and Kato and Maki chuckled behind them as Jounouchi shot the girl a glare. “ _Yes_ , seriously!! And I’ll have you know it came with a note, too! I just haven’t read it yet! But if you want to hear what’s in it-”

And with that Yuugi was slammed right back into his panic, and he stepped up in Jounouchi’s face. “W-wait!! You shouldn’t do that!”

“Wha…” Jounouchi started, stalling with one hand already inside the wrapper, fingers caught on the little white note folded up among the chocolate stars as he blinked at Yuugi. “Why?”

“Er-” Yuugi looked back instinctively, and froze as he noticed not just Jounouchi, but nearly _everyone_ in the room was staring at him. “N… no, reason…”

Silence hung in the air for four… five seconds, and then someone spoke up.

Behind them.

“Okay, _now_ I’m curious,” Kato announced, leaning forward on his elbows to squint at the little gift bag in Jounouchi’s hands. “Who _are_ those chocolates from?”

“Yeah!” Maki cried, focusing on Yuugi with baffled eyes. “What’s the big deal, Mutou-kun?! Do you know who it is or something?”

“T-that’s-” Yuugi stuttered, racking his brain for _something_ to say as the classroom erupted in murmurs and yelled inquiries.

_A little help here?!_

_I… honestly don’t know what to say, aibou. If you insist it is nothing again, they’re just going to get more curious… Perhaps you could stall for time?_

S-stall.

Right.

If he could just keep them distracted until lunch was over-

“Who _cares_?!” cut in one voice over the others, prompting all eyes to turn on a long-haired blond girl who sat just in front of Honda. She was twisted around in her seat, looking back at the group with an impatient frown. “It’s just some chocolates and a note! Either look at it and tell us who sent it quick, or _put it away_! The teacher will be back any minute, and she said no chocolates out in class today!”

 _Damnit!_ Yuugi cursed, turning to see Jounouchi shaking himself out of a daze.

“Oh, right! Thanks, Nakano!”

The girl snorted as she turned back to her bag, but Yuugi barely registered her response in his focus on his friend’s note fishing.

 _You could always just grab the note_ , the spirit suggested, interrupting Yuugi’s endless string of silent curses.

_Not without everyone seeing it! And I might as well just scream ‘I sent it’ if I do that!_

_Well… it doesn’t matter. Once Jounouchi reads it, he’ll understand and keep it to himself._

_Right…_ Yuugi replied with a gulp, watching his best friend unfold and read the little note… and slowly, _slowly_ look up to stare point blank at _him_.

“Y-Yuugi…?”

Everyone… turned their heads.

And stared right at him.

_…I could be wrong._

Yuugi answered the spirit with a choked incoherent thing that might have been a mute screech.

“W-wait,” Maki said into the silence, the first to recover enough to stop gawking and ask the question that was clearly on _everyone’s_ mind. “ _Mutou_ gave Jounouchi Valentine’s day chocolates?!”

“ _What_?!” someone yelled, and Yuugi flinched, frowning at some point between Jounouchi’s stunned face and the blackboard.

Somewhere beneath his skin, his other self’s restless uncertainty was slowly stirring into something darker, more _pointed_. But Yuugi couldn’t quite focus on stifling it while he was striving to block out the chatter around him.

“No way!!”

“Wait, _what did they say_?!”

“Are you _serious_?!”

“Mutou gave Jounouchi _chocolates_?!”

“Wha-” Jounouchi finally started, jerking Yuugi back into focus as his friend glared at their classmates. “I never said any of that, you guys!!”

“Yeah, you did!” Kato argued, looking between him and a frozen Yuugi with a confused sort of frown, as if he wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to be right. “You just read the note and said his name!”

“Well… _that’s_ not why-” Jounouchi said after a telling stall, earning an arched brow from Maki.

“Oh? Then who’s it from, Jounouchi?”

“Who _cares_?!” Nakano broke in, glowering between them and the classroom door. “Would you just put it up already, Jounouchi-kun?! You’re going to get us all in trouble!”

“R-right,” Anzu tried to cut in, finally jerking out of her own shock as she shot confused looks at the lot of them, making ushering motions with her hands. “Lunch is over, we should-”

“You didn’t _actually_ give him chocolates, did you Mutou?” Maki interrupted.

The insistent question prompted a synchronized tightening of Yuugi’s throat and spark of hot indignation from the spirit, but when Yuugi turned to look at Maki… he didn’t know what to think of his classmate’s expression.

He didn’t _look_ judgmental or aghast or taunting… just, honestly baffled.

“Um…”

That gaze stalled Yuugi and his other self alike… but not Jounouchi.

“Hey Maki,” Jounouchi interrupted, expression dark as he glowered at the boy. “That’s none of your fuc-”

Honda reached out and punched Jounouchi right in the arm.

“ _Aaa_! What the _hell_ -” the blond cried as he clutched his arm, glaring Honda’s way… only to cut himself off as he realized his friend was staring at the classroom door.

It was sliding open.

“Alright, class! Settle down! Put away your lunch if you haven’t yet, and-” the teacher said as she walked in, eyes already down on her paperwork.

As such, she missed it as all of the students shot looks at one another and moved awkwardly back to their seats.

In the shuffle, Yuugi caught eyes with Anzu, and saw the troubled, confused light in her eyes.

It made him sigh as he sat down, deflating back into his seat as he grumbled, _This was a bad idea_.

 _Don’t say that_ , his other countered in a surprisingly calm tone. _Just look how happy Jounouchi is_.

Yuugi shot a surprised look up at the spirit’s profile, then followed his crimson gaze to his best friend’s desk.

Jounouchi was focused on the innards of his desk, trying to get a chocolate star out of the open bag without making too much noise. And when he noticed Yuugi looking his way, he shot him a huge grin and a thumbs up.

Yuugi beamed right back at him, relief overwhelming his embarrassment in the face of that cheer.

But then he noticed Kato just over Jounouchi’s shoulder, shooting them both a _weird_ look.

The spirit bristled visibly and internally at the teen’s face, while Yuugi’s grin shrank.

It didn’t disappear completely, but still Jounouchi must have noticed the shift in his expression, because he followed his gaze and turned around to look at Kato.

Yuugi couldn’t see Jounouchi’s own expression in that moment… but he certainly understood the middle finger he shot Kato before turning back around, reaching into his desk to pull out a single chocolate star.

He tossed it into his mouth with an open, dramatic flair that made Yuugi smile and the spirit snort.

“Then if you apply this formula to… _Jounouchi-kun_! What did I say about Valentine’s chocolates in class?!”

Jounouchi choked.

* * *

“These are delicious, Yuugi-kun!” Bakura exclaimed, popping a tiny chocolate skull into his mouth and chewing quickly to keep talking as he fished another out. “How did you manage to make this shape, though?”

“My mom found some leftover seasonal molds from last Halloween,” Yuugi explained, smiling as he leaned against the lockers opposite his friends and watched them dig through their cubbies to find their own bags of chocolates.

“I still can’t believe I did that,” Jounouchi sighed beside him, scratching the back of his neck as he eyed his tiny best friend. “Sorry I made such a big deal out of it, Yuugi.”

“Sorry I wasn’t actually a girl,” he countered instantly, smiling as he earned a snort from the glowering, embarrassed blond.

“ _Yeah_ , whatever. I still got more chocolates than Kato, right?”

“Right,” Yuugi snickered, only to look back to their other friends as he heard Anzu hiccup.

He jerked upright when he saw her staring at a piece of paper, one hand over her mouth.

_Right, the note!_

_About that-_ his other self said within him, his curious tone a sharp contrast to the sheepish, tense anticipation running through Yuugi’s heart. _When did you write those? I don’t remember you putting any notes in the chocolates._

_I wrote them after you ‘ran away’ when Mama came home Thursday._

**_Ah._ **

That answered, the spirit went quiet… allowing Yuugi to focus completely on Anzu as she looked up at him with suspiciously watery eyes.

“ _Yuugi-kun_ , this is…” she trailed off, staring at him for so long that Yuugi began to fidget in his shoes.

“Was yours sweet, too?” Bakura asked, cutting into the tension and drawing their attention to his smiling face. “Yuugi-kun left a note with mine, as well. And I would _love_ to set something up,” he said, turning to Yuugi as his expression melted into something happy and astonishingly  _open_. “I’m… honestly surprised you’d want to, though.”

“Of course,” Yuugi assured instantly, grinning in the face of Bakura’s almost grateful smile… before finally shifting his gaze to the last of their friends. “You find yours yet, Honda-kun?”

Honda didn’t answer… didn’t even turn around.

He just kept facing his locker.

“Hey, you going to answer Yuugi?” Jounouchi asked, moving over to his friend and craning around to face him… jerking back at whatever he saw. “ _Dude_ , are you crying?!”

“ _No_!!” Honda snapped, rubbing sharply at his face, still facing his locker. “I just- _Leave me alone, man_!”

Jounouchi stared at him wide-eyed… and slowly turned to the shocked trio behind them. “I think you broke him, Yuugi- _Hey_!” he snapped, pushing Honda back after the brunette shoved him. “Just suck it up already, will you?!”

“Did you give him special shaped chocolates, too, Yuugi-kun?” Bakura asked conversationally, drawing a belated, dazed focus from Yuugi and Anzu.

“Oh uh, yeah,” Yuugi answered, shooting a look between Bakura and the two rough housers before smiling awkwardly. “Mama found a pet themed mold set, so I used the paw print ones for his.”

Honda gave a suspicious sniffle before suddenly moving for the rest room. “I gotta take a leak!”

“Hmph, he could at least _own it_ if he’s gonna be like this,” Jounouchi grumbled, straightening his school jacket before facing Yuugi with a curious look. “About that, though- Why’d you give me star shaped ones, anyways?”

“Because… star chips?” Yuugi answered, suddenly wondering if that _had_ been the best choice for his best friend. If he hadn’t caught the point on his own-

But Jounouchi’s frown instantly cleared, a grin smacking his face. “ _Of course_! Gah, why didn’t I think of that myself?!”

“You didn’t know he sent them to you at first, remember?” Anzu pointed out, shooting Jounouchi a flat look that he mirrored back at her… until she turned her attention to Yuugi with a softening smile and warm face. “But, I feel pretty silly myself… I gave you a box of chocolates from the store, just like everyone else this morning, and then you give me _this_.” She held up her own bag of chocolates, the treats within shaped like little musical notes.

But Yuugi just shook his head, beaming up at her. “What are you talking about? You gave me a box twice as big as the others!” He had noticed right away, after all, since the boxes she handed Honda and Bakura and stuffed in Jounouchi’s desk had all been so much smaller.

And it was hard to forget that moment, since his other self started smirking from the sidelines the moment he saw it. Yuugi had to spend his entire first period fighting off the urge to throw the box at that smug face.

It would be a terrible waste of chocolates, though.

But in the present, Anzu was shaking her head, fiddling with the chocolate bag as she smiled at her hands. “Yes, but that was because, you know, the two of you…”

“ _Oh_ , right.” She had given him extra… because he was supposed to share them with the spirit.

And as he realized that, Yuugi could just _feel_ his other self staring at him, even as he didn’t conjure himself into sight.

He was worried about him. About his reaction to this little revelation.

But Yuugi was… honestly, just relieved.

Here he had been worrying about getting special chocolates and some sort of confession not really intended for _him_ , and what he should do if that happened… and Anzu not only didn’t do _that_ , she acknowledged that there were _two_ of them!

What more could Yuugi ask for?!

And thinking that helped him relax, and he grinned up at his fidgety friend. “Thanks, Anzu-chan! I didn’t know that before, but I’ll make sure to share them with _mou hitori no boku_ later! Oh, and it’s an assorted mix, right? So there’s some dark chocolate in there?”

“…What?” Anzu went properly still, blinking down at him in surprise. “No, the mix is for the filling, not the chocolate type… Why do you ask?”

“ _Oh_ ,” Yuugi said, expression blank… the silence getting more awkward by the second as he stumbled for something to say.

The spirit fidgeted under his skin.

“D-do you not like milk chocolate?” Anzu asked, frowning in clear confusion. “I could have sworn…”

“No no, I do!” Yuugi assured, jerking out of his silence to wave his hands in a reassuring gesture. “I love it, actually! It’s just, _mou hitori no boku_ doesn’t…”

 _Aibou!_ his other self snapped inside of him, the aghast edge in his voice making him sound far more shaken than scolding.

Yuugi shook his head against it, shutting his mouth… but the damage had been done.

Anzu was staring at him in complete shock… while Jounouchi just eyed him oddly, and Bakura looked on with a distant sort of curiosity.

“What are you talking about?” Jounouchi asked, jolting Anzu out of her daze and helping her find her own voice.

“Then… then it’s not _you_ who dislikes milk chocolate? Just, the _other_ Yuugi?”

“What are you _talking about_?” Jounouchi repeated, frowning at Anzu. “How could one Yuugi like something like that, but not the other?”

 _Very easily_ , Yuugi thought, but didn’t say… his attention pinned too soundly on Anzu, and the confused, even _shaken_ frown she was focusing on the floor.

She looked utterly thrown.

 _She must have really wanted you to like them, too_ , Yuugi decided, earning a rush of restless displeasure from the spirit within him.

 _I didn’t even think they were_ **_for_ ** _me, even partly_ , he protested, prompting a twitch of a wry grin from his vessel. _But I wouldn’t have said anything had I known. It’s the thought that counts, and for all I know I_ **_might_ ** _like the sweets, if there’s some sort of filling in them!_

 _Right_ , Yuugi thought back… only to break out in a huge grin as an idea occurred to him. _You should tell her that!_

 _...What?_ the spirit mumbled, only to jerk forward in Yuugi’s feet as he was quite suddenly and unceremoniously shoved into his flesh. “What-” he repeated with his mouth… only to jerk upright as their friends’ eyes all widened at that voice.

“Hey!” Jounouchi blurted out, caught between delight and surprise, but the other Yuugi was too caught by Anzu’s shocked, blushing face to look at him.

_Aibou, this is a bad idea._

_Just say what you just said to me!_ Yuugi encouraged, grinning down at the spirit from where he hovered at his shoulder.

His other self didn’t look up, but sent back a nonverbal, silent reaction that could only be summed up as ‘it is _not_ that simple’.

“… It’s not that I don’t like them,” the other Yuugi protested after a long, tense pause, not even looking back at his snorting partner as he plastered a confident smile on his face. “It was nice of you to think of me, too. I didn’t know you were including me in the gift.”

“Oh! Um… of course! I’m… glad you like it!” Anzu exclaimed, her expression twisting about like she couldn’t decide if she was delighted, or disconcerted.

Maybe it was both.

But she was certainly blushing as Yuugi looked on, surveying the scene with relaxed crossed arms and a bemused smile. And his vague amusement only spiked when his other self looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

_Now what?_

_Now what, what? Just talk to her. Or them._

_About what? They’re not saying anything._

_Mou hitori no boku, you’re friends, right? Friends talk to each other, remember?_ Yuugi teased, trying to prod a smile and articulation out of his other self.

And the spirit’s expression _did_ soften… but after a brief breath spent looking between the three in front of him?

He reached back and ‘grabbed’ his partner, pulling him forward.

“So uh, Yuugi-kun! How have you… oh,” Bakura said, stalling his clumsy inquiry as he realized the Yuugi blinking at them was the _usual_ one again.

And when Yuugi recovered enough to focus on them, and their uncertain faces? He smiled, scratching the side of his mouth with a chuckle. “Sorry, looks like he’s shy.”

“Seriously?” Jounouchi asked, raising a disbelieving brow as Bakura laughed and Anzu looked at him thoughtfully.

And his other self glowered within him. _I am_ **_not_ ** _shy._

Yuugi snorted, grinning to himself at the protest.

The spirit might like their friends as much as he did, but there was no denying that he froze up when he didn’t have some threat to face or something obvious to say.

Just look at how he had acted with his _mom_.

 _Oh, really? Come out and tell them that, then_ , Yuugi challenged, grinning at his friends with the mirth aimed at the one inside of him.

His other sniffed. _Nice try._

_Haha, it was worth a shot._

* * *

_Are you happy you took the chocolates in, aibou?_

“Yeah,” Yuugi admitted, grinning abashedly at his bedroom’s space heater as he turned it on and instantly, futilely rubbed his hands in front of it. It wouldn’t get properly hot for a while yet, but the walk home in the snow had been blistering, and just the ritual of rubbing his fingers together in front of the thing made the boy feel a little warmer. “I can’t believe the mess it made, but it sounded like Jounouchi-kun straightened out Kato-kun and the others well enough after school, so there shouldn’t be any weird rumors… I just hope he did that by explaining Mama sent them along, not threatening them or something.”

 _That would be_ **_tragic_** , the spirit observed in a wry, flat tone, and when Yuugi looked up he had to shake his head and snicker at the distant, dark delight his other self clearly took from the idea.

He wasn’t a big fan of Kato, that much was clear.

“Well, anyways, I’m glad I did it,” Yuugi reiterated, grinning up at the hovering figure and earning an easy smile in return. “They seemed really happy with them.”

 _They did. It was a good idea_ , the spirit praised. _And whatever you put in their notes clearly touched them, too._

“Heh, yeah…” Yuugi agreed, scratching his nose as he looked down at his feet… before finally standing up with a stretch. “Whelp! What are we going to do with these?” he asked, turning to walk to his bed and the bag he had dropped on it. He unzipped it and turned it upside down, dropping school books and little boxes of chocolates out onto the comforter. “What do you say?” he asked, grinning back at the other. “Should we binge on some sweets before Mama finds out and confiscates them?”

 _You already ate a box and a half on the way home,_ the spirit pointed out. _And I should remember, since it was pretty impressive. You could barely see against that wind, but you still managed to down that many of them as you walked._

“Haha, well, what did you expect? Mama packed a light lunch since she knew I’d be getting stuff, so I was hungry,” he protested, earning a smiling shake of his other self’s head. That is, until he followed up the comment with a ‘thoughtful’, “But, you do have a point. Since I’ve already had a big share, you should have first choice now.”

 _Huh?_ The spirit blinked down at him… only to blink down at the candies instead, as he suddenly found himself in Yuugi’s flesh, the boy himself hovering at his side as a spirit.

Again.

He shot his partner a flat look. “Are you going to make a habit of this?”

Yuugi didn’t answer directly. He just smiled at him, gesturing towards the bed with a transparent hand. _Please, mou hitori no boku?_

The mild exasperation in the spirit’s expression instantly converted to surprise at Yuugi’s quiet, almost pleading tone… and he stared up at the boy with curiosity humming openly in his eyes and his mind.

Yuugi just kept smiling, glad he didn’t have a pulse to expose him… though he knew his other self had to feel the anticipation running rapidfire through his heart.

He didn’t say anything about it, though. Just stared at Yuugi for a long, wondering moment… before finally turning to the bed, looking over the pile for any sign of _what_ had his partner so excited.

It wasn’t hard to spot, though… the bag looked exactly like the ones Yuugi had given his friends, after all.

Yuugi grinned as he saw his other self spot it, and stare… slowly reach out to pick up the slightly smushed bundle of wrapped chocolates.

“Is… this…?”

 _It’s meant for you_ , Yuugi confirmed when the spirit seemed too stunned to even finish the question. The other just blinked in answer, still staring at the little dark sweets visible through the wrapping, the chocolate shaped like puzzle pieces… and piled around a little folded piece of white paper. _I put it together and hid it in my bag Thursday, before you came back out of the Puzzle after dinner?_ he explained, playing with the edge of his school shirt with a distracted, restless hand. _I thought I’d surprise you._

And surprise him he had, he could see that much.

The other Yuugi just kept _staring_ at the chocolates like they were the most unbelievable thing he had ever seen… and it might well have been excruciating, that breathless silence. But slowly the ‘spirit’ began to move, untying the red ribbon that bound the bag up and reaching in to fish out the note.

And Yuugi couldn’t help but suck in his own breath as his other self began to read, biting his lip to stifle the urge to speak up, and interrupt.

Yeah, it had been embarrassing when _all_ of his friends read their notes, but… Yuugi had at least managed to keep his messages short and to the point with them.

His note to his other self had ended up kind of… _wordy_. And, random. And embarrassing, now that he thought back to what he could remember of the thing…

But even as the spirit read Yuugi scrutinized him, and their bond, instinctively reaching out for any sense of shock or awkwardness or discomfort or, anything negative from the other…

And oh, there was _shock_ … but it didn’t seem negative to Yuugi’s mind.

And there was something else there in the other Yuugi’s heart, bubbling up and growing by the second and filling up Yuugi’s senses as he stared into the spirit’s mind and blinked dazed at the colors dancing within his heart.

He didn’t know _what_ to call that emotion… or the feelings behind the other’s gaze when he finally looked up and met Yuugi’s eye.

But whatever it was? It was very, very _full_.

“ _Aibou_ …” he started, voice gravelly with heavy, scratchy emotion… but he didn’t say anything else. Just stared at him, the ghost of a smile he couldn’t manage twitching at his lips and shining in his shaken eyes.

So Yuugi smiled for him, shrugging in equal speechlessness… but oddly comfortable with the silence, and at ease with the lack of reply.

He didn’t know _what_ exactly his other thought of that note, after all… but he clearly took it seriously. And didn’t mind it.

That was all Yuugi really needed.

 _Are you going to try them?_ he finally asked instead, drawing the obscure moment to an close by looking down at the chocolates.

The other Yuugi followed his gaze after a rapid blink and shake of the head, that emotion Yuugi had felt from him dissolving down to a faint glow as he took his partner’s prompting and pulled out one of the edible puzzle pieces, biting into it.

He chewed for some moments, a far more straightforward pleasure mixing with the more inscrutable feelings bouncing about his head as he smiled up at Yuugi… the ambiguity in his gaze giving way to open, warm esteem. “It’s delicious.”

Yuugi grinned, face aching with the wide split of his smile.

_Good._

* * *

**:: Yuugi's Notes ::**

_Jounouchi-kun, I hope you like these chocolates! I know it might be kind of weird, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to say that you’re the best friend any guy could wish for. So just don’t ask questions and enjoy these, okay?_

_I hope you think these chocolates are as sweet as you are, Bakura-kun! Your smiles never fail to brighten my day! (P.S. We should totally all play together again soon! We haven’t done that in forever!)_

_For the friend I know I can always rely on, thank you Honda-kun. You have no idea how much it means to me, knowing you’ll always be there for us. (And if you prefer dark chocolates, let me know! I have some back home I could switch these for!)_

_Anzu-chan, the fact you ever picked me out as your friend still surprises me, even now. I don’t know if I could ever say what you mean to me, but thank you for always sticking by me. I don’t know what I would do without you._

_Mou Hitori no Boku, I never expected to find someone like you, but I am so happy that I did. And I just wanted to give you these to say, I really liked making them with you. Which isn’t any surprise, because I like doing anything with you, but I just wanted to let you know. And to say, let’s just keep doing stuff like this, and spend every day we can together, okay? Because nothing could measure up to the time I get to spend with you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this somehow turned into something of a Yuugi-Jou story… and I regret nothing. This was shockingly therapeutic after The Value of Sin. cx But anyways, look for the follow-up White Day story Piece By Piece in a week or so! (Release dates may continue to be a little quirky in July, as work is being weird with me about shifts, but ‘about a week from now’ will remain the theme!)
> 
> And another big thank you to [KatNocta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatNocta/pseuds/KatNocta) for betaing! You always leave the best comments and keep my commas under control. :) 
> 
> Leave a kudos and a review if you like, but thank you in advance for any comments!! They feed my soul.


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